Violent shoplifter attacks security, bites police
Ventura CA Aug 20 2017 A woman was arrested in connection with shoplifting in Ventura on Friday after she allegedly became violent while resisting arrest, authorities said.
The melee occurred after police got a report at 4:04 p.m. of shoplifting at at Trader Joe’s, 103 S. Mills Road, authorities said.
Police said a store employee saw a woman hiding bottles of alcohol in her clothing and that she tried to hit the employee when confronted. Fearing for his safety, the employee let the woman leave, police said. A customer followed her out of the store and to the nearby bus depot. As he tried to call police, she took the phone out of his hand and threw it, then started trying to hit him with the bottles, police said.
Security officers detained the woman in the parking lot when the police officer arrived, but as he was speaking to her, she fled, police said. The officer ran after her and tried to take her into custody, but she allegedly grabbed the officer’s gun and tried to remove it from the holster, authorities said.
As a result, the officer took the woman to the ground and she began biting the officer’s arm, authorities said. With the assistance of mall security, the officer was able to take the woman into custody, authorities said.
The woman was identified as Araceli Aguileracastillo, 20, and was booked into Ventura County jail after being medically cleared at Ventura County Medical Center for minor injuries suffered during the arrest, police said.
The officer was treated for minor bite wounds, authorities said.
No other injuries were reported.
